Title: Love Ya Work!
Author: Clancy Tucker
Publisher: Clancy Tucker Publishing $28.00 in Aust. (available in eBook)
Publication Date: January 2018
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9780994601001
For ages: 12+
Type: Short Stories, Poems, Anecdotes
Reviewed by Anastasia Gonis
This impressive collection by award-winning author, activist and humanitarian Clancy Tucker, features unpublished short stories and personal anecdotes from his journey through life ‘on the run’. It includes some bush poems that have appeared in previous publications such as Gunnedah Hero.
The stories provoke laughter and tears. They are diverse and full of atmosphere, and draw you into the settings so well-described I felt I was reliving the times. They contain romance, family conflict and resolution, love, and life-changing random acts of kindness by, and to, strangers and others, such as in The Five Dollar Circus.
Many of the true stories are taken from Clancy’s own life experiences, as are the anecdotes that he relays with such confidence and strength of memory, which shows the impact those experiences have had on him. Other stories are simply stories. Each has a specific theme that reflects the human and inhuman side of life.
Clancy has travelled extensively, documenting life through his camera lens, within Asia, the United States and countless other countries. This travel has enriched his life and informed his world view. His experiences are represented in his writing. They reflect his humanitarian attitude and generosity towards others less fortunate. Examples of sharing what you have are represented in stories built with dignity and compassion.
Then there are his bush poems. They are breakers between long and short stories, and anecdotes.
This is a book to pick up and put down at leisure, but not before you have read it all first. It’s entertaining and reflective; thought-provoking and thoughtful. The stories are about life before computers, when things were clearer and unwritten laws on social conduct and manners were passed on to others by example.
Many will cherish this collection which is presented in Clancy’s inimitable style, through his unique way of seeing life, and by writing it as it is. Love Ya Work, Clancy!
GUNNEDAH HERO REVIEW – DIANA SOBOLEWSKI
5.0 out of 5 stars An inspirational and entertaining read for young readers and adults alike!
By Amazon Customer on February 27, 2018
Format: Kindle Edition |Verified Purchase
Fourteen year old Gunnedah ‘Gunnie’ Danson inherits a manuscript written by his great-great-great grandfather. As he’s reading about Smokey ‘Gun’ Danson’s adventure when he was exactly the same age, Gunnie takes us along for the ride.
Award-winning Australian author Clancy Tucker tells two stories at once going seamlessly between drought-ravaged Australia in 1910 and modern-day Australia where farmers also face hardships due to drought. And Mr. Tucker involves the reader with the lives of the two boys simultaneously.
Tasked with a job that would normally have been undertaken by older ‘drovers’ Smokey moves cattle away from his homestead Wiralee Station to a destination many towns away with only his trusty dogs, a pack-horse and the horse he rides. Along the way he learns the value of his animals, to trust his instincts, and the meaning of friendship. In the process, he is introduced to Aboriginal ‘bush magic’ for food and medicine. Smokey’s journey is fraught with danger; the terrain, the elements, wild life and some unscrupulous characters. But the young man finds his inner strength and shoulders his burden well to surpass the expectations of family, friends and his love interest Molly.
With a selfless act and guided by a true sense of what is the right thing to do, Smokey is rewarded for his good deed and recognized for the hero that he is. That in turn allows him to repay some kindnesses and ensure that his family’s land and homestead withstand the threat of drought in the future, and that the family business thrives for generations to come.
Gunnie reading Smokey’s detailed account from Wiralee Station, the exact place his great-great-great grandfather had been so passionate about, comes to share in that passion. When Wiralee is under threat once more, Gunnie vows to protect it and Smokey reaches out from the past to help.
Gunnedah Hero is about perseverance, respect, generosity and believing in yourself; woven into a delightful, heartwarming, hopeful tale that is just plain fun to read. The author infuses the story with ‘Aussie’ expressions and vivid descriptions that really bring it to life and give it that sense of time and place.
I think this book is classroom-worthy. I would also encourage adults to read it and to get it for the young people in the family. What a wonderful way to encourage young people to read and bring about some great discussion.
Love ya work Mr. Clancy Tucker and I’ll be reading the sequel ‘A Drover’s Blanket’ next!
On Writing 